In this football video game tips breakdown, we take a look at another NCAA 12 blitz scheme from the Nickel Over Storm Brave that brings pressure on the quarterback.
After studying the Nickel Normal Over Storm Brave more throughout the NCAA 12, I came up with a different set up that is a bit deceptive and allows the user to play routes over the middle.
Setup:
1) Shift the Defensive line to the left and crash it left
2) Hot Blitz the DE on the left side of the screen.
3) Shift the linebackers to the right
4) Control MLB and give him a spy assignment or a zone assignment
Situational Usage:
· 3rd and long – this is a great call to get off the field. So when the offense is in 3rd and 8 or more this is a call that one might make.
· Back up inside the red zone with the offense threatening to score (2nd and 3rd and long, medium or short). This is also a great call to make if the offense gets in the red zone. Because the defensive backs have less ground to cover then the threat of the big play is not so big.
Again, Nickel Normal Over Storm Brave is a 0 Coverage defense so there will be no help in the deep middle. The defense has five defenders in man coverage with offensive personnel. This is a great call against three, four and even five receiver personnel groupings.
The first adjustment is to get into our alignment. This will be a line under, linebacker over shift. As you shift the line left go ahead and crash it left (in another version of this blitz the line will stunt to the right; see Over Storm Brave III). Notice the OLB stacked over the Center. Notice his blitz angle is crashing back to the left. I like leaving it as it is. However, one might send him on a blitz into the A gap. He will not get through. He will only open things up for someone else.
The next thing I like to do is hot blitz my defensive end on the left of the screen. He will rush straight up the field.
Finally, I like to give my middle linebacker a spy assignment. I control him on this play and lurk the middle for quick slants and drags from the tight end or slot receiver.
The final thing I like to do with this play is press my corners. This will give the rush plenty of time to get there. Although not much time is needed since we will have a free rusher.
On the snap the entire defense will move to the right. This isolates the Left Offensive Tackle. He has to make a decision between the defensive end and the defensive tackle. If he pulls to pick up the defensive end, then the defensive tackle goes underneath that block and through the B gap and pressures the QB. In my trial runs this only happened when I hot blitz the OLB. However, in this version I do not hot blitz the OLB and his crash to the same side as the defensive line is what causes the tackle to swing inside.
This allows the defensive end to get past the offensive tackle just as the QB is receiving the football. I will also mention that speed and acceleration is king here. If you have faster linebackers than defensive ends, then the linebacker rush package should be your choice. I like a player with at least 82 speed and 90 + acceleration here. This defense is supreme with jump the snap. With jump the snap the QB has no time at all.
With Mississippi State I used the linebacker pass rush package and the defense got to the QB for the sack.
Coaching Points
Ideally you want to set this up away from the tight end or the half back. This particular offensive formation had both the tight end and half back on the same side. If your defense is facing an offensive formation that has the half back on the left, then the offense can nullify this version of the blitz. When I see a HB lined up left I go to version three of this blitz, which I will show in a future write up. The great thing is I can go ahead and make all of the shifts I need to make long before the offense gets to the line.
